Time to Silence the “Time to Fire Norv Turner” Talk

Week 6 of the 2005 NFL season is in the record books, and the Oakland Raiders are 1-4. As the finger pointing has already started among the Raider faithful, one of the last people they should blame for a slow start is Head Coach Norv Turner. Let’s take a look at some of the premier coaches in the league and how they performed throughout their career.

In 1994, Norv Turner landed his first head coaching job with the Washington Redskins. The Redskins were a team faced with some serious changes; their legendary coach Joe Gibbs retired after amassing a 133-71 record in Washington. Enter the Norv Turner era in DC. In 1994, Turner’s Redskins went 3-13, and then improved each year going 6-10, 9-7, 8-7-1; slipped in 1998 to 6-10 then went 10-6 in 1999. In 2000, he was let go during the season while his was Redskins went 7-6 leading into week 14. In Washington, Turner was basically set up for failure, especially following coach Gibbs who led the Redskins to three Super Bowl victories.

Other coaches have struggled, especially in the early years of taking over as head coach of their team. Bill Belichick is a prime example of this. In 1991, Bill took over as the Cleveland Browns head coach. In his first year, the Browns went 6-10. The following years, Cleveland went 7-9, 7-9, 11-5 and 5-11. After that dreadful 1995 season, Belichick was fired. Five years later Bill was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots. In his first three seasons with New England, his team went 5-11, 11-5 and 9-7… As we all know, Belichick’s Patriots have won three out of the last four Super Bowls.

Other coaches have faced similar adversity throughout their careers and persevered. Bill Parcels struggled and had several up and down seasons with the New York Giants and New England Patriots, yet each of those teams made trips to the Super Bowl. Other notables include Marty Schottenheimer, Jon Gruden, Buddy Ryan and even the late Hank Stram.

Am I saying that Norv Turner is going to be the next Bill Belichick or Bill Parcells? No, but if he’s not given the time, support and opportunity to succeed, how will we ever know? Bottom line, as long as he is the coach of the Silver and Black, he’ll have my support!